Changing a keg of beer

Changing a keg of beer should be a straight forward procedure; however it is always better to be shown how to do cellar-work by a trained cellar person and then use this as a reference. Half past ten on a Saturday night isn’t the best time to be learning how to change a keg of beer. As you are dealing with pressurised containers, it shouldn’t be rushed.

Here we will go through the process of changing a keg of beer, as used mainly by Carlsberg and Heineken (Sankey). We have also added the Keg Types as used by Molson Coors (Grundy), InBev (Type “U”)and Guinness (Type “A”) further down below. If you think we have left something out please comment below.

1. You enter the cellar to find the Cellar-buoy/Fob Detector empty. First check that the container is indeed empty, if not just proceed straight to step 13. If this is happening regularly or continuously you may wish to read this article. Float keeps dropping in Cellarbuoy

2. Turn off the gas to the coupler at the secondary valve, if you are unsure which is the right one just follow back the coloured pipe from the coupler.

3. A keg is a pressurized container so do not stand directly over the keg coupler, try to keep the coupler at arms length. On this type of keg coupler pull the handle away from the body to release.

4. Lift the coupler handle to its highest point.

5. Turn the coupler a quarter turn anti-clockwise.

Important – if you turn the coupler and the extractor itself starts to unscrew leave well alone and call out Tech Services to make safe.

6. Remove the coupler from the keg.

7. Choose the new container using the oldest date first (see How old is my beer?). Remove the plastic seal, make sure the recess in the top of the extractor is clean, free of bits of plastic, paper etc.

8. Check the rubber seals are in good condition and not split, perished or swollen, also check that one isn’t missing there are two on this type of coupler.

9. Ensure the coupler handle is raised to its highest point, and locate the tapered guide on the coupler into the lugs of the extractor.

10. Turn the coupler a quarter turn clockwise until fully home.

11. Depress the coupler handle until it clicks into place.

12. Turn the gas back on to the coupler at the secondary valve.

13. On this type of Fob Detector turn the bleed valve quarter a turn anti-clockwise until beer fills the fob detector.

14. Then turn back to close.

15. Push the black knob up to release the float.

16. Not forgetting to pull it back down fully, to prevent the line to the tap filling up with gas when this container is empty.

Changing a Molson Coors keg of beer

Proceed as before up to step 3

3. A keg is a pressurized container so do not stand directly over the keg coupler, try to keep the coupler at arms length. On this type of keg coupler click the underneath of the handle to release.

4. Lift the coupler handle to its highest point.

5. Turn the coupler about a sixth of a turn clockwise or anti-clockwise.

6. Remove the coupler from the keg.

7. Check the rubber seal is in good condition and not split, perished or swollen

8. Choose the new container using the oldest date first (see How old is my beer?). Remove the plastic seal, make sure the top of the extractor is clean, free of bits of plastic, paper etc.

9. Make sure the coupler handle is fully extended and the rubber seal is lying flush, otherwise it will be difficult to connect to the new container.

10. Guide the protruding edges on the coupler to the cutouts on the extractor, until it drops into position; then turn about a sixth of a turn.

11. Depress the coupler handle until it clicks into place

Revert back to the main tutorial at step 12

Changing a Guinness keg of beer

Proceed as before up to step 3

3. A keg is a pressurized container so do not stand directly over the keg coupler, try to keep the coupler at arms length. On this type of keg coupler click the underneath of the handle to release.

4. Lift the coupler handle to its highest point.

5. Slide the coupler from the extractor.

6. Remove the coupler from the keg. Check the rubber seal is in good condition and not split, perished or swollen.

7. Choose the new container using the oldest date first (see How old is my beer?). Remove the plastic seal, make sure the top of the extractor is clean, free of bits of plastic, paper etc.

8. Make sure the coupler handle is fully extended and the rubber seal is lying flush, otherwise it will be difficult to connect to the new container.

9. Slide the guide on the coupler across the face of the extractor, as far as it will go.

10. Depress the coupler handle until it clicks into place

Revert back to the main tutorial at step 12

Changing an InBev keg of beer

Proceed as before up to step 3

3. A keg is a pressurized container so do not stand directly over the keg coupler, try to keep the coupler at arms length. On this type of keg coupler click the underneath of the handle to release.

4. Lift the coupler handle to its highest point.

5. Turn the coupler a quarter turn anti-clockwise.

6. Remove the coupler from the keg.

Important – if you turn the coupler and the extractor itself starts to unscrew leave well alone and call out Tech Services to make safe.

7. Check the rubber seals are in good condition and not split, perished or swollen, also check that one isn’t missing there are two on this type of coupler.

8. Choose the new container using the oldest date first (see How old is my beer?). Remove the plastic seal, make sure the recess in the top of the extractor is clean, free of bits of plastic, paper etc.

9. Ensure the coupler handle is raised to its highest point, and locate the lugs on the coupler into the slot in the extractor.

I have just taken over as Bar Cellar Person at work & to get a Team Trained up , This is brilliant, although ive done some Cellar duties, I need to learn everything I can, I have a course coming up BIIAB so this is really helpful to me, & will be great as part of our Training Thanks 😀

Hi there, Lluc again, I only have a doubt about the most suitable gas canister for the beer line cleaning, should it be done with 70/30 exclusively? or could you use for this task the typical canister for lager beer (60/40) instead? thanks in advance

Hi Bob, thank you for your fast answer and the link, now I feel more confident about using a 60/40 canister for line beer line cleaning. The cleaning system at the bar where I work was reinstalled time ago using the green pipes of the Guinness and Brains we don’t offer anymore (nowadays we only serve lager beers) and we still have there the indication for the 70/30 gas, that made me wonder, but thanks again for the clarification 😉

This is one of those things I’ve always been told to do and never questioned but wanted a “Why:”

Why does the “coupler” always have to be attached to something even when out of stock it has to be attached to the cleaning mechanism as apposed to just put down to one side? Or is this just one of those things that’s done for no reason as i can’t find anything about it?

As long as the gas is turned off I cannot see any reason for it to be connected to anything. If you don’t switch the gas off it would be best connected to an empty container just in case. But the gas should be switched off if it is connected to the cleaning main anyway. As for a reason, the only thing I can think of for it to be connected is that the coupler would fall to the floor in the dirt. Perhaps that’s it.

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